Peorian gets 19 months for bogus tax returns

PEORIA — A Peoria man was sentenced to 19 months in federal prison Monday for trying to defraud the government by filing bogus tax returns.

Barry Dorsey, 41, was also ordered to pay $418,708 in restitution to the IRS for the scheme. Dorsey pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy and had faced up to 10 years behind bars.

According to a four-paage court document, Dorsey and others at S&B Tax Service in Peoria filed bogus tax returns on behalf of their clients to secure a larger refund.

As part of the scheme, they misrepresented the level of income earned as well as falsely claimed education expenses. In all, about 30 bogus returns were filed, according to court records. The scheme lasted from 2010 until 2012.

Two others were indicted after Dorsey and await trial on similar charges.